Oxfordshire’s Truck Festival is facing financial difficulties despite a record attendance for this years events and organisers have appealed for help in saving the event on the same day as Newcastle’s Ignition Festival is cancelled.
The annual indie festival, which started in 1998, will no longer be held due to financial issues, efestivals.com reported yesterday, but it now emerges rumours of its demise were premature, but still faces an uncartain future.
This years festival did not make a profit, partly due to the availablity of heavily discounted tickets, and organisers Robin and Joes Bennet are struggling to pay creditors.
Speaking to The Oxfordshire Mail , Robin Bennet said, ““Things are still a little unclear, but the situation is not looking good. Our revenue has not been adequate to cover the cost of this year’s event and we have been left with a major hole.
“We are a small family business and we cannot sustain that kind of loss, and are now reaching out to find a method of dealing with it.”
He added supports may set up a support fund, with fans of the festival buying bonds in the festival, but was also seeking an outside investor.
Truck last took place over the weekend of July 22-24, 2011 with the performances from Gruff Rhys, Radiohead’s Phil Selway and St Etienne, but there were doubts about whether it would actually take place.
We love Truck and hope it goes on for ever. It’s unclear how it’s sister events Wood and Tuck USA.
It’s also been confirmed that this weekends Ignition Festival in Newcastle has been cancelled.
A statement reads: “With deepest regret we are now in a position to confirm that Ignition Festival 2011 will not be going ahead, despite every effort to keep this going after this was cancelled yesterday by Newcastle Racecourse.
“Unfortunately this was not possible due to residential issues and time constraints.”
Gruff Rhys will be appearing at London’s Field Day of August 6, and St Etienne appear at Apple Cart the following day- Both events are in Victoria Park.
Updated August 5, 2011
Gruff Rhys- Shark Ridden Waters
